Path 2

Path 2

What to Bring to Tartine

March 13, 2009

Every week or so in ‘What to B When You BYOB’ we ask a local wine
store to recommend a wine to drink at a nearby BYOB restaurant. They’re
asked to consider the cuisine at the restaurant and suggest an
appropriate bottle for under $15.

This week in ‘What to B,’ we head to one of New York’s classic BYOB spots, the French bistro Tartine (253 West 11th Street) in the West Village. Cristiano Andrade, the general manager and buyer at the nearby Sea Grape Wine Shop (512 Hudson Street) was kind enough to recommend a white, a red, and a rose to complement the bistro fare. His picks are after the jump.

Field Stone, Convivio, 2005 Alexander Valley, California ($14.99)
This 70% Merlot/30% Cab is medium to full-bodied. “It’s very smooth and not super big on tannins,” he says, “I wouldn’t say it’s fruity but it’s very rich. It’s from Northern Sonoma, where it’s colder a night, so it builds up some acidity in the grapes. It’s great with meat dishes, but it’s nothing too crazy.”

Tegernseerhof “T” Zweigelt Rose, 2007 Austria ($14.99)
“Rose is always great for small bistro style food,” Andrade says, “this would go with any dish. Good fruit, good acidity.”